Wealth and income distribution

    AQA
    GCSE

    Candidates must analyse the distinction between wealth (stock concepts: property, savings, shares) and income (flow concepts: wages, benefits, dividends). The study focuses on the empirical evidence of widening inequality in the contemporary UK, specifically the polarization between the top 1% and the lowest deciles. Analysis must integrate theoretical explanations for this distribution, contrasting functionalist arguments of meritocratic necessity with Marxist and Weberian critiques of structural reproduction and market situation. Candidates are expected to evaluate the impact of fiscal policy, globalisation, and the 'gig economy' on social stratification.

    0
    Objectives
    4
    Exam Tips
    3
    Pitfalls
    3
    Key Terms
    4
    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Award marks for explicit differentiation between wealth (e.g., property, shares, savings) and income (e.g., wages, benefits, pensions).
    • Credit the application of specific sociological theories; Functionalists must be linked to role allocation, Marxists to the bourgeoisie/proletariat conflict.
    • Responses must utilize the provided Item (source) to support arguments; mere lifting of text without sociological interpretation limits marks to Band 1/2.
    • High-level responses must evaluate the concept of meritocracy, questioning whether high income is a result of talent/effort or ascribed status.

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Award marks for explicit differentiation between wealth (e.g., property, shares, savings) and income (e.g., wages, benefits, pensions).
    • Credit the application of specific sociological theories; Functionalists must be linked to role allocation, Marxists to the bourgeoisie/proletariat conflict.
    • Responses must utilize the provided Item (source) to support arguments; mere lifting of text without sociological interpretation limits marks to Band 1/2.
    • High-level responses must evaluate the concept of meritocracy, questioning whether high income is a result of talent/effort or ascribed status.

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡In 12-mark questions, ensure a 'for and against' structure; contrast a structural view (Marxism) with a consensus view (Functionalism/New Right).
    • 💡Always explicitly reference the Item in the first paragraph of your response to secure AO2 application marks immediately.
    • 💡Use specific terminology: replace 'rich people' with 'elite' or 'bourgeoisie'; replace 'poor people' with 'underclass' or 'precariat'.
    • 💡Allocate strictly 1 minute per mark; do not over-write for the 3 or 4 mark questions at the expense of the 12 marker.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Conflating wealth and income as interchangeable terms rather than distinct economic concepts.
    • Relying on 'common sense' or anecdotal explanations for poverty (e.g., laziness) rather than sociological structures (e.g., cycle of deprivation).
    • Failing to provide a conclusion in the 12-mark 'Discuss how far' questions, which prevents access to the top band.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    Identify
    Describe
    Explain
    Discuss how far
    Examine
    Analyze

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